Thousand Oaks Acorn News tells MHProNews that volunteers with Habitat for Humanity recently worked to repair and refurbish 15 manufactured homes at the Ranch Mobile Home Park in Thousand Oaks, California. The repairs were made for veterans or their spouses in the low-income community for seniors.
Carol Claassen used to worry that the elevated front porch to her manufactured home would cave in and she’d fall to the street. The ancient patio was rickety and rotting from underneath until Habitat for Humanity and its partners came to the rescue.
“It’s such a relief to know I’m safe now and so great to have someone want to help,” said Claassen, whose late husband served in the Marines. Homeowners receiving help represented every branch of the service that served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. They have an average age of 81.
In addition to repairing Claassen’s porch, Habitat volunteers repainted an outdoor table and spruced up her garden. “They fixed up the whole row of roses,” she said. “They cut down the bushes that blocked my windows—the ones with the tough, gnarled branches that I couldn’t cut.”
In addition, one of the repairs to the inside of her home will end up saving her money every month, she said. She’ll soon have a new heater, and she’s been without one for more than six years. “I’ve used a little space heater, but they’re expensive to run,” she said. “My utilities are double what everyone else’s here are.”
Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization founded on the vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live, celebrated the restoration of Claassen’s home and 14 others at the park on January. 31.
Other renovations to manufactured homes at the Ranch Mobile Home Park included installing smoke detectors, repairing railings and steps, improving landscaping and replacing sinks, faucets, water heaters, washing machines and stoves.
Though Habitat is known for bringing volunteers and low income homeowners together to build new houses, a new initiative, called the Preserve a Home Program, helps low-income residents make needed repairs to existing homes.
The program has been in existence for four years locally and has grown from renovating five homes its first year to 23 so far this fiscal year, said Felipe Flores, director of community engagement and family services for Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County.
At Saturday’s ceremony, Habitat executive director Steve Dwyer said the organization is dedicated to renovating another 17 homes that need repairs in this 74-unit manufactured home community. ##
(Photo Credit: Thousand Oaks Acorn News)
Article submitted by Sandra Lane to – Daily Business News – MHProNews.
